Reviews of silent film releases on home video. Copyright © 1999-2026 by Carl Bennett and the Silent Era Company. All Rights Reserved.

A Trip to Mars [Himmelskibet] (1918)

This science fiction drama, directed by Holger-Madsen, stars Gunnar Tolnæs and Zanny Petersen, with Nicolai Neiiendam, Alf Blütecher, Svend Kornbeck, Philip Bech, Lilly Jacobson and (in a bit part) Nils Asther.

While much of the acting is over-the-top and hammy (especially Tolnæs — he of the heaving chest and popping eyes), the tale itself is intriguing. A team of explorers target the Red Planet for their next scientific expedition. A spaceship is hastily constructed (within two years), and when conjunction is favorable the ship is launched. After six months of imperceivable progress through the black of space, the crew arrives at Mars. The Martians apparently speak Esperanto but that doesn’t stop the inevitable misunderstandings that lead to conflict (silly Earthlings!). The crew soon realize that the Martians are living in a Star Trek paradise.

It is unavoidably laughable that a spaceship would reach 12,000 kilometers an hour in space with aircraft wings, wheels and a rear-mounted propellor (think of the Oscar Mayer weinermobile with wings), but just accept that an unexplained power gets the job done. If that all weren't comical enough, the Martian leaders are dressed like a bunch of ank-decorated church choir members with hotel maid headpieces.

Assumptions that science fiction films of space exploration started in the 1950s are thoroughly debunked by this production and other silent films of the 1920s and 1930s, such as Aelita: The Queen of Mars (1924), Woman in the Moon (1929), and Cosmic Voyage (1936).

In the teens, Denmark produced some excellent films and this is a prime example. Worth noting is this film’s set design and set dressing that does not fail to convince and amaze (note also the observatory set was recycled from The End of the World). A well-executed process shot is seen at the beginning of the spaceship’s voyage but is followed shortly by a shot of the craft flying through the clouds that looks like it was taken by Georges Méliès. Through multiple viewings, one can note the attention to tiny details such as the vibration of a coiled electrical cord in the ship’s corridor set caused by the operation of the ship’s engine.

While some of the film’s extrapolations are comically naïve, it is a vastly entertaining film that would be a hoot for a modern audience.

— Carl Bennett

This PAL DVD edition has been mastered from an very-good to excellent 35mm print (possibly of the USA release version) held by Det Danske Filminstitut. A few inserts are sourced from a 16mm reduction print. The source material has a broad range of greytones and image detail. Dust, speckling, schmutz, some emulsion scrapes and scuffing, splices, touches of beginning nitrate decomposition, and other print flaws are present. The flaws are occasionally distracting but viewing is generally a pleasure, especially on high-definition equipment capable of picture upscaling.

The film is accompanied by a music score composed and performed on piano by Ronen Thalmay.

Supplemental material includes a full-length presentation of The End of the World (1916).

This is our recommended home video edition of the film. North American collectors will need a region-free PAL DVD player capable of outputting an NTSC-compatible signal to view this edition.

This Region 0 PAL DVD edition is available from DANISH FILM INSTITUTE through . . .

The film is likely accompanied by a soundtrack compiled from preexisting music recordings.

This Region 0 NTSC DVD-R edition is available directly from . . .

The film is likely accompanied by a soundtrack compiled from preexisting music recordings.

Note that this company apparently has a history of pirating other home video editions or pirating television network recordings to produce their products. Be aware that purchasing pirated home video editions does not benefit the original edition producers nor the composers whose music is often pirated as well.

This Region 0 NTSC DVD-R edition is available directly from . . .

Other SCIENCE FICTION and FANTASY FILMS of the silent era available on home video.